snorkel

1 of 2

noun

snor·​kel ˈsnȯr-kəl 

plural snorkels

1

: a plastic tube that allows a swimmer to breathe while keeping the head or face under the surface of the water

He swam about 250 yards on the surface, using a snorkel to breathe, to get past the barren sandy bottom.

—Brian Clark

No complicated equipment—just a mask, snorkel, and fins, and you're set to explore a shimmering world of exotic fish and Technicolor coral.

—Richard Alleman

2

: a tube housing air intake and exhaust pipes for a vehicle's engine that can be extended above the water's surface so that the engine can be operated while the vehicle is partially or fully submerged

Water entered the snorkel of an Argentine submarine and caused one of its batteries to short circuit before the vessel went missing this month, a navy spokesman said Monday.

—Chicago Tribune

Most need to be specially modified … with extra ground clearance to get over big rocks, an exhaust snorkel for river crossings, industrial-strength suspension, and an engine with enough torque to power through mud and sand.

—Jerry Guo

snorkel

2 of 2

verb

snorkeled; snorkeling ˈsnȯr-k(ə-)liŋ 

intransitive verb

: to operate or swim submerged using a snorkel

snorkeler

ˈsnȯr-k(ə-)lər 

noun

Examples of snorkel in a Sentence

Verb

We snorkeled in the Caribbean on our vacation last year.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Every villa also comes with a butler who can arrange everything from snorkel trips at nearby reefs to stargazing sessions with an astronomer. —Forbes Travel Guide, Forbes.com, 18 May 2025

Prices start at about $280 per night and include buffet breakfast, lunch, and dinner, snorkel equipment, a glass-bottom boat snorkel tour, other activities, and an environmental management charge. —Tim Chester, AFAR Media, 17 Apr. 2025

Verb

The team packed the hellbenders up and drove to a river in Middle Tennessee, where biologists donned wet suits and snorkels and hopped into the cold streams. —Olivia Lloyd, Charlotte Observer, 16 May 2025

Debbie Olsen has snorkeled with whale sharks, hiked the Camino de Santiago, and summited several peaks in the Canadian Rockies. —Debbie Olsen, AFAR Media, 15 May 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun

German Schnorchel

First Known Use

Noun

1945, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Verb

1949, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

snorkel

1 of 2 noun

snor·​kel ˈsnȯr-kəl 

1

: a tube or tubes that can be extended above the surface of the water to supply air to and remove exhaust from a submerged submarine

2

: a tube used by swimmers for breathing with the head under water

snorkel

2 of 2 verb

snorkeled; snorkeling -k(ə-)liŋ 

: to swim underwater using a snorkel